Not only will the panels help generate power for the rest stop, the panels’ heating elements will prevent snow and ice accumulation. “What’s so appealing from the revenue side is yeah, if we don’t have to treat roads or sidewalks or pavement anymore, that’s less material, less chloride, less things that go into the environment and also the aspect of getting energy,” McKean said.

The program calls for equipping about 1,500 personal vehicles with units that will enable drivers to get in-car warnings about oncoming hazards. The vehicles would also transmit data about variables like speed and braking to a traffic management center, offering real-time insight about road conditions. Buses and streetcars would be outfitted with similar technology. Also envisioned is a smartphone application that would alert pedestrians if they are on the verge of getting struck by a vehicle while walking in the street.

“The visionary design conceptualized by Jeff Jordan Architects is truly inspirational and speaks to the broad value of architecture, even in its unbuilt state,” said Justin Mihalik, president of AIA-NJ. “Through the power of design, the Liberty Pedestrian Bridge has been transformed from the realm of words and ideas to a concrete vision of the project that can be honed and refined through open public discourse, and whose merits can now be compared with other essential infrastructure projects.”

Columbus’ plan promises a number of futuristic additions to the city, including electric self-driving shuttles, traffic signals that communicate with vehicles so the signal adjusts in real-time to reduce congestion, and a new transit card that gives anyone, including those who don’t have credit cards or bank accounts, access to transportation. The city plans to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure and encourage electric vehicle ownership.

Since 2010, the Greenway’s annual budget has more than doubled from $470,000 to just under one million dollars last year. “It’s not a question of when the Greenway will get done, it’s a matter of how fast,” Markatos-Soriano says. The Greenway, he adds, is “one of those universally appealing projects.”

(East Coast Greenway Alliance)

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